The role, significance and impact of supply chain management in the FMCG sector

Type :

Term papers

Pages :

11 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

06/17/2009

Category :

Business & market

Sub category :

Management

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Summary :

What is FMCG?
Distinguishing characteristics of the industry
1. Low capital intensity
2. High initial launch cost
3. Technology
4. Marketing drive
5. Market research
6. Balance sheets are misleading
7. Third-party manufacturing
8. Significant presence of unorganised sector
Trends
1. Global concentration
2. Growth in the third world
3. Value for money
4. Adapting to local conditions
5. Packaging
6. Evolving strategies for supply chain markets
7. Macro trends
8. Understand the end customer's buying process
Restructure the economics of your channel partners
Lead from the top
Changing face
1. Distribution channels and network
Disintermediation myth
The economics of distribution and the transition
Transition from push to pull environment
Pull method
Bibliography

Abstract

fmcg refers to consumer non-durable goods required for daily or frequent use. Typically, a consumer buys these goods at least once a month. The sector covers a wide gamut of products such as detergents, toilet soaps, toothpaste, shampoos, creams, powders, food products, confectioneries, beverages, and cigarettes.

Most product categories in fmcg require relatively minor investment in plant and machinery and other fixed assets. Therefore shortage of product for want of capacity would be a rare phenomenon. The turnover is typically five to eight times the investment made in a Greenfield plant at full capacity. This is also due to the fact that the business being marketing driven, players do not integrate backward. Also, the business has low working capital intensity as bulk of sales from manufacturers takes place on a cash basis.

Nonetheless, there is a large front-ended investment made in new products including cost of product development, market research, test marketing and most importantly its launch. To create awareness and develop franchise for a new brand requires enormous initial expenditure on launch advertisements, free samples and product promotions. Launch costs are as high as 50-100% of revenue in the first year and these costs progressively reduce as the brand matures, gains consumer acceptance and turnover rises. For established brands, advertisement expenditure varies from 5 - 12% depending on the categories. It is common to give occasional push by re-launches, which involves repositioning of brands with sizable marketing support.